


Familial Expressionism

by thestalwartsky



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/F, Gratuitous Use of Em Dash, Multi, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Tags Are Hard, based on a scene from a show, gratuitous ship tease, no beta we die like Glenn, references to supports
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27309220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestalwartsky/pseuds/thestalwartsky
Summary: "Maybe we're not like a family. Maybe it’s more complicated because, unlike a real family, there's nothing to stop any one of us from thinking of any of the others as a sexual prospect."
Relationships: Black Eagles Students/Black Eagles Students, Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth, implied other ships
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Familial Expressionism

"And that is why it's important to keep track of your allies in the battlefield," said Byleth. The Black Eagles nodded, a few of them finishing up their notes. "Are there any questions?"

"It is not a question, but I thought that this lecture was quite good, Professor," said Ferdinand. A few of the students nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, it was good and everything," said Caspar. "I'm still not sure why we had to sit in a circle for this though."

Indeed, it had been somewhat odd when, at the end of the last lecture, Byleth had asked them all to bring a pillow to class the next day. No one had questioned it at the time, although there had been some furtive glances exchanged. The unspoken assumption had been that they would be using them in some kind of practicum related to the lecture. Thus it had been somewhat of a surprise when, upon entering the Black Eagles classroom, the desks had pushed to the walls and the professor had asked them to arrange themselves in a circle, using their pillows as cushions for seating.

That is how the lecture had proceeded, with the students taking notes on their laps on some slates that the professor had provided. Byleth sat with her back facing the door, with Edelgard and Bernadetta on either side of her. Dorothea sat on Bernadetta’s other side, with Petra next to her, followed by Ferdinand. Hubert, to no one’s surprise, had taken the other spot next to Edelgard, with Linhardt at his other side, and Caspar beside him rounding out the circle on Ferdinand’s other side.

The topic for today had been on coordinating with others in battle.

“I thought it would be a nice change of pace,” Byleth said. “Not everything has to be so formal all of the time. Was it not satisfactory?”

“I-I think I prefer my desk, personally,” stammered Bernadetta. “This is a little too close for me.”

“It’s a cute idea, but I have to say I didn’t enjoy it much myself,” said Linhardt. He tried and failed to stifle a yawn before continuing. “Having to sit up in a circle and pay attention kind of cuts into my nap time.”

“I’m sure you’re not worse off for it,” said Hubert, giving Linhardt a rather withering look beside him. “Although I do concur that it was quite... close in proximity, I thought it was a rather unconventional way to conduct a lecture.”

“That doesn’t quite sound like a compliment, Hubie,” said Dorothea. “I enjoyed class today as well, Professor, it was quite fun.”

“Still kinda weird though,” muttered Caspar.

“I agree with the Professor that this was a nice change of pace,” said Edelgard. “I think it’s great to be able to sit with all of you like this, casually. It sort of feels like… like we’re a little family, you know?”

At that, everyone in the classroom, save Byleth, let out a collective groan.

“What?” Edelgard looked around at the circle, slightly annoyed. “What did I say?”

“No offense Edelgard,” said Caspar, “but you’ve been pushing the family angle pretty hard lately. I have to say, that’s kinda weird too.”

“What are you talking about? How is that weird? Stop saying things are weird!”

“There was all that talk of togetherness after the mock battle,” said Linhardt groggily. “Which was followed by a truly _riveting_ hour and a half dinner in which we had to go around giving each other _affirmations_.”

“It was a team building exercise!” Edelgard protested. “It’s meant to bring us closer together!”

“I- I don’t think the hand holding was necessary,” muttered Bernadetta, clearly still not over the incident.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to agree with Bernadetta on that one,” Hubert whispered to Edelgard. She sighed and put her head in her hands.

“And anyway, I don’t think family is the right word for what we are,” Linhardt continued. “A real family would understand my need for rest…”

“Yeah, and family wouldn’t just haul you off somewhere against your will!” Bernadetta squeaked, throwing an accusatory glance towards Caspar. Caspar glared back at her.

“What? I just wanted to show you something! And isn’t that how you got to the Academy in the first place?” The color drained from Bernadetta’s face at that. She started to open her mouth to protest before hanging her head in defeat.

“Caspar, you really should have a little more tact,” said Ferdinand, frowning. “It is not befitting of a noble to speak to a young woman that way. We must always communicate” —at this point most of the circle, save Byleth, let out another groan, but Ferdinand paid them no heed— “with thoughtfulness and respect… Even if the person you are talking to holds animosity towards you for no discernable reason and compares you to insects—"

"There's plenty of discernable reason for me to hate you, Ferdie," snapped Dorothea. "And anyway, I recall you being a little less than noble-like not too long ago when you were pestering poor Bern outside her room."

"Hey yeah, what was that all about!" Caspar joined in. Bernadetta, for her part, seemed determined to disappear into thin air.

“A momentary lapse in judgement!” protested Ferdinand.

“What a rare occurrence that must be for you,” murmured Hubert, smirking. Ferdinand glared at him.

“I would hold my tongue if I were you. You do not even have your own mind with which to make judgements, consumed as you are with your liege.” Hubert looked at him with contempt, but said nothing in response.

"You have to admit you're a little bit obsessive, Hubie," said Dorothea. Hubert turned his cold stare upon her next.

"I admit to nothing except devotion to my station," he replied sternly. "And even if it were true, I see little difference between that and your preternatural fixation with certain members of our circle." Hubert shot a pointed glance to Dorothea's side. Dorothea followed his gaze to look at Petra, who looked mostly confused at the current proceedings.

“Fixation?” Dorothea flipped her hair defiantly. "I think you may be exaggerating just a little. There's nothing wrong with giving your friends kindness and affection. I don’t see why you’re coming after me about that when it’s no different from what Caspar and Linhardt get up to.” The young men in question looked at each other.

“They’re just jealous,” they said in unison.

"Alright, maybe we're not like a family,” interrupted Byleth; her expression was characteristically unreadable. “Maybe it’s more complicated because, unlike a real family, there's nothing to stop any one of us from thinking of any of the others as a… sexual prospect."

An awkward silence descended upon the group at those words, with everyone’s eyes on the professor. The next fifteen seconds or so were quiet and chaotic as glances were traded amongst the circle.

Edelgard shifted her gaze directly in front of her and locked eyes with Ferdinand. His eyes widened, eyebrows shifting upward, and a slow smile started to creep on his face. Edelgard did her best to suppress a shudder before breaking eye contact and looking more towards his side, where she found Dorothea. In true Dorothea fashion, she smiled and gave a wink. Edelgard felt her cheeks getting warm, and turned to look at the professor seated beside her. Byleth turned to face her as well; as usual, her expression was blank, stoic, betraying none of her current thoughts or emotions. It was still so surprising to Edelgard how utterly captivating such a face could be, framed with slightly tousled hair, with those deep cornflower eyes that were so easy to get lost in—

Edelgard abruptly turned towards her other side, the heat in cheeks growing unbearable. She was met with the bored visage of Linhardt. He raised one eyebrow before slowly shaking his head. Edelgard frowned.

Bernadetta, after Byleth’s statement —and after using every shred of power she had to not scream— nervously glanced around the circle and happened to catch the gaze of Caspar. His cheeks instantly dusted pink and he gave a small smile. Bernadetta felt herself smile as well, remembering the time she shared a spectacular view with the young man. Then she promptly remembered being hauled off like a sack of garbage and, feeling the panic starting to rise, quickly turned away. She ended up looking next to her, where Dorothea had turned to look at her as well. Dorothea’s eyes widened, but she also gave a warm smile. Bernadetta was momentarily awestruck. Pretty, popular, dazzling Dorothea, looking at little old Bernie, perhaps thinking of her as—

Now feeling a different kind of panic, Bernadetta broke from Dorothea’s gaze to face toward her other side, settling upon Edelgard. Edelgard gave her an inquisitive look, cocking her head to the side. Fearing any sort of retaliation for having undue thoughts towards the Imperial princess, Bernadetta abruptly moved on, finding herself now looking at Ferdinand. Ferdinand grinned at her, gently flipping his hair. Bernadetta blushed, and, not wanting to read too much into what that look meant, turned to find herself now facing Linhardt. He stared for a few seconds, apparently contemplating something, before slowly shaking his head. Bernadetta gasped.

Dorothea, after Byleth’s statement, perused the circle with guarded interest. She settled on Caspar first. Once he noticed and looked back at her, his face became bright red, eyes widening in shock, before he turned away abruptly. Dorothea chuckled to herself at his immature reaction, shifting her gaze over to meet that of the professor. As usual, her expression was blank, stoic, betraying none of her current thoughts or emotions. It was still so surprising to Dorothea how utterly captivating such a face could be, framed with slightly tousled hair, with those deep cornflower eyes that seemed to pierce the depths of her soul—

Dorothea turned away, feeling more than a little transparent. She ended up looking right next to her, into the waiting eyes of Petra, who gave her a smile. Dorothea couldn’t help but smile in return; having Petra as a friend was nothing short of wonderful. She was kind, strong, smart, endlessly adorable, with the most gorgeous, braided, plum-colored hair, sun-kissed skin that looked incredibly soft—

Suddenly feeling entirely too warm for a public setting, Dorothea broke from her eye with Petra, attempting to discreetly release some of the heat by tugging at her choker. She happened upon Ferdinand next; he blushed instantly and gave her a hopeful smile. Dorothea rolled her eyes and moved on to Linhardt. He stared for a few seconds, apparently contemplating something, before yawning and giving a noncommittal shrug. Dorothea glared at him.

Hubert, after Byleth’s statement —and after using every shred of power he had to not impale her with the strongest magic available to him for daring to utter it— closed his eyes in an attempt to ease the sudden pounding in his head. When he opened them again, he was staring straight into the scared face of Bernadetta. She was completely drained of color; half-wondering if she’d managed to faint in a seated position, Hubert turned away to give her some relief. He locked eyes with Dorothea next. She widened her eyes slightly, tilting her head to the side and giving him a sly smile. Hubert quickly averted his gaze, unwilling and unable to process what was going on with that. He ended up looking at his side, directly at Edelgard. She regarded him with surprise for a few seconds, before the corners of her mouth curled up in what looked like...amusement?

Hubert, now thoroughly uncomfortable, and attempting to keep his face as impartial as possible, turned to his other side, where he was met with the bored visage of Linhardt. Linhardt widened his eyes in shock before vigorously shaking his head. Hubert frowned at him and looked forward instead, locking eyes with Ferdinand. He also gave Hubert a surprised stare at first, before breaking into a wide grin.

Hubert, unbearably warm, had had enough.

“This is utterly ridiculous,” he snapped, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why are we even discussing this?”

“Because Edelgard wants us to be family,” said Caspar, rolling his eyes. “I don’t think it’s gonna work.”

“Alright, fine, maybe family isn’t the right word,” sighed Edelgard. “For...reasons that have already been stated.” She cleared her throat awkwardly, the faintest hint of color creeping into her cheeks. “All that I was trying to say is that it would be greatly beneficial for all of us to become close. We have a long year ahead of us, and we’re bound to face great trials along the way. We need to look out for each other, and learn to work together as one. That was the whole theme of today’s lecture, after all.” Edelgard glanced over at the professor, who nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, I guess you’ve got a point,” conceded Caspar. “It’s pretty cool being able to fight with you all.”

“It is true, I am having honor being here with all of you,” said Petra. “You have all been treating me with such kindness. I am hoping that we can all be good friends this year.” There were assenting murmurs amongst the circle. Edelgard smiled to herself.

“Well then, since we’ve settled that...are there any other questions?” Byleth asked. The group was silent for a moment, trading a few glances around, before Ferdinand slowly raised a hand. “Yes, Ferdinand?”

“I just wanted to ask…” he hesitated for a moment before sternly looking at everyone in the circle. “All of you considered me, right? Because I saw some some of the looks I got and I do not think—”

Everyone groaned, including Byleth this time, cutting Ferdinand off, and began packing away their notes. One by one, they grabbed their personal effects and pillows and filed out of the classroom. Edelgard moved slowly, letting everyone else leave ahead of her —forcibly, in Hubert’s case— so that only she and Byleth were left.

“Professor,” Edelgard started, as Byleth sorted out some materials on her desk, “I just wanted to thank you for taking my suggestion for class today. I’m sorry it got sort of...unruly, there at the end.” She shuffled her feet nervously. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be interfering with your lesson plans.”

“It’s quite alright, I don’t mind. I thought it was a good idea, and it tied into the lecture.” Byleth straightened up the last of her papers and looked up at Edelgard with that same stoic stare. “I think you were right.”

“Right about what?”

“About us being like a family.” Byleth paused for a moment. “It’s nice having people around to care about. I’m used to it just being my father and I.” Edelgard let out a small laugh.

“That’s sort of an odd thing to say, Professor. What about the mercenary company you were a part of? Did you not care about them?” Byleth appeared to think about it briefly before shrugging.

“Sort of. It feels a bit different though. Maybe it’s because I get to help you all learn and grow, instead of merely fighting beside you. It makes me feel closer to you.”

“I—” Edelgard cleared her throat nervously. “I see. That’s good then, since that’s what I had in mind. For the class, I mean.” Byleth merely nodded. “Well, I suppose I should be on my way. Thank you again, Professor.”

“Of course.” Byleth had gathered her belongings and now walked beside Edelgard as they exited the Black Eagles classroom. “After I put away my things, I’m going down to the pond for a bit for some fishing, if you’d like to join me.”

“Ah, I appreciate the offer, Professor, but I have some things to attend to with Hubert. Perhaps another time.”

“Very well, another time then. Enjoy the rest of your day, Edelgard.” With that, Byleth gave a short bow and headed in the direction of her room.

“See you tomorrow, Professor,” said Edelgard. Then, smiling to herself, she turned and headed off to her own room, with her feet and heart feeling lighter than usual.

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea was stolen from/partially inspired by/very loosely based on S1:Ep15 of Community (which is a neat show if you've never seen it, I recommend it). I kinda just wanted these people sitting in a room looking at each other. Whoops.
> 
> Feedback welcomed, hope you enjoyed!


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